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WA may add hospital fee to co-payment

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has taken aim at the Medicare co-contribution included in this year's federal budget and is angry about another cut to the state's GST share.

The Liberal leader said the budget was a "strong attempt" to reduce the national deficit and ultimately debt, and he welcomed federal contributions to infrastructure projects in WA.

But he was disappointed WA was the only state to have its GST revenue cut.

"I think it is an insult to the people of this state," Mr Barnett told reporters.

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"I'm disappointed about that. That's still something that must be corrected."

Opposition Leader Mark McGowan said the lower GST share was no surprise and being used by Mr Barnett as a smokescreen to cover the fact the Liberals were stripping away values such as universal healthcare that Australians held dear.

That was in response to Mr Barnett flagging the possibility of the state government introducing a fee for emergency department visits if the Medicare co-payment drove patients with non-urgent ailments to hospitals.

Combined with last week's state budget, it was clear the Liberals were moving towards a US approach to welfare, Mr McGowan said.

"It's pretty mean," he told AAP.

But the premier said any emergency department fee would be introduced "reluctantly".

He also said the decision to lift the retirement age to 70 was "a sensible policy" but adjustment should be made to rules around access to superannuation so people in their mid-60s could still have access to those funds.

Mr Barnett said the deficit levy would affect WA more than other states as its resources sector meant there was a high proportion of workers earning more than $180,000 a year.

And the reintroduction of fuel excise indexation would be also felt strongly in the state because West Australians travelled longer distances, he said.